1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to weapons systems, and more particularly to firearms which include means for generating a laser beam as an aiming mechanism. It is well known in the firearms art to connect a means for generating a laser beam aligned to the barrel axis of the firearm as an aid to aiming the weapon to deliver a projectile substantially at the point where the laser beam intersects the target.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
Among law enforcement officers, these laser aiming devices are highly prized. Confrontations requiring the use of firearms rarely occur in broad daylight. Most police work which requires firearms occurs in poor lighting conditions, either indoors or outside. These poor lighting conditions make it difficult to use conventional optical gun sights effectively. Use of a laser aiming device requires the officer to merely point the firearm at the target so that a bright laser dot is projected onto the target. The intimidating effect on the violator on seeing the laser dot on his person is often sufficient to cause them to capitulate and reduce the potential for violence.
Prior art laser aiming devices often project a single laser beam or, in a few instances, a circle and a dot or a crosshair. This laser beam is usually red, but newer devices also use green lasers as these appear brighter to the eye. Means is provided to actuate the laser on demand, usually by a trigger switch, to avoid alerting the target to the location of the firearm, and also to conserve battery power. Means is also provided to align the laser to the firearm barrel axis.
The major drawback of prior art laser aiming devices is due to the fact that only a single laser beam is projected. A dot, usually red, will appear on the target at the point where the projectile will impact. This dot is the same size over a wide range of distance from the firearm to the target. In certain prior art, a circle or crosshair may be projected as a means to providing an indication of a supposed “splatter zone” based on the MOA (i.e., Minute of Angle or Minute of Arc).
As is well known, MOA is a unit of angular measurement used in the firearms industry on scopes or firearms to define shooting accuracy. It is popular because 1 MOA almost equals one inch (1.0472 inches to be more precise) at 100 yards. However, the person operating the firearm has no means of determining the range to the target. This is important, especially with handguns, where the firearm accuracy deteriorates rapidly with distance. Furthermore, poor lighting conditions and the heat of combat often make it difficult to see the small projected laser dot. Valuable seconds may be lost trying to determine exactly where the gun is pointing. Certain prior art laser aiming devices use a camera with a range finder to display the distance to the target. However, this is impractical for handgun use where a rapid response is essential.
Most confrontations with law enforcement occur at fairly close range (e.g., 10 to 30 feet). In many cases, the law enforcement officer needs to rapidly deploy his weapon and all he has time for is to point the weapon at the assailant. While laser-pointer type aiming devices are very useful in this “point and shoot” situation, they provide no means for the officer to judge distance to the target, and thus the relative accuracy of his shot. This is particularly difficult in poor lighting conditions where human depth perception is severely compromised. Obviously, in the aforementioned situation there is no time for the officer to use a conventional optical rangefinder to determine the distance to the target.
What is needed is a laser aiming device that combines the ease of use of a laser pointer gun sight with additional visual indication of range. Such a laser aiming device needs to work at relatively short ranges of 10 to 50 feet and not require substantial time to interpret. It should also be easily retrofitted to existing firearms and require minimal training.